Camden Chat: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:



Around SBN: MLB Hot Stove: blogging the rumors, trades, signings Bar-right-arrows



Yesterday I went to Wrigley Field

Marqee-welcome-to-wrigley-field_medium

I went down to Wrigley Field with a couple of Cubs fans yesterday, and I thought I'd share my day with you, dear Camden Chatters.

First of all, game time was 1:20 CT, so 2:20 here in civilization. I live on the very brink of civilization in Saint Joseph, Mich., and friend #1 is in Michigan City, Ind. Friend #2 is in Valparaiso, Ind.

We also had to pick up the tickets in Sutton's Crossing in Hoffman Estates, Ill., which is the damnedest place, and a fair ways past Chicago. So here was the trip:

Wrigleytrip_medium

Traffic was awful.

Anyway, this Sutton's Crossing place. It's 120 acres of land within Hoffman Estates that is going to be some sort of big shopping center or some such. It's like a modern day version of a mining town, as if someone found silver there and now everyone is storming in to put up a business.

The traffic and the fact that we got rolling a bit later than we should have meant we missed most of the first three innings, so we saw exactly zero of the Cubs three runs. We had seats up in aisle 523, which are upper deck reserved and not bad seats at all. It's behind home plate at a slight angle, up under the broadcast booths.

What did I actually get to see? I saw Jay Bruce's homer, and then the ball that Joey Votto sent out onto Sheffield, which was then impressively chucked back from the street into the middle of the outfield. Nice arm, buddy.

I also got to see Paul Bako flail away, which was a hoot to experience live. Kerry Wood overpowered Patterson, Bako and Javier Valentin to get the save in a 3-2 Cubs win. There was no real drama, because those three weren't going to do any damned thing. My favorite part of the game was probably when the baby behind us took a wicked dump in the ninth inning and its mother did not think this was a foul enough stench to, like, get the baby away from everyone else.

We got out of our right-by-Wrigley $40 parking and then went over to Seminary and School (two streets, in fact) to park and walk around and find something to eat. We decided on the very not-busy Ian's Pizza by the Slice. We were warmly greeted and asked if we'd ever been there before, as if there was some great mystery to figure out. I'm a very polite person and realize most people don't really get humor, so I didn't say anything smart-assed. But, like, it's a pizza joint called Ian's Pizza by the Slice. Let me guess -- I order pizza by the slice?

I got a BBQ chicken and pineapple and a pepperoni/mushroom slice, and with a couple of Cherry Cokes it came to $10, which isn't bad at all. Pizza was good, but not great. Then we got to hear the workers talk jive to the other customers that came in after, such as Michael Jordan's visit on their grand opening day (this is a non-descript place in Wrigleyville, not something you'd much notice) and the fact that it was "the best pizza in the f---in' world." I'm not even sure it was the best pizza on that block.

All in all, a quality trip into Chicago, one of my very favorite cities. Those Cubs fans this year are a whole different breed. They're rocking the attitude that they're going to win.

The seventh inning stretch featured Dan Plesac, so I sort of felt shortchanged there.

So that was my O's off-day. How was yours?

0 recs | Comment 24 comments

Read Related

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

How was mine...

I paid some guy whom I didn’t know $343.03 to fix my A/C unit, and parts only cost $5.00, and now today I’m having some sort of electrical issue that I’ma have to try to fix myself before I call some OTHER guy I don’t know to fix it for me. All in all a great day, though.

Kevbo: [to George Sherrill] George, you look a lot like Vin Diesel...

Flatbill: Let's get somethin' straight... Vin Diesel looks like me.

-From "The Making of Orioles Magic"

by dayzd toe on Aug 22, 2008 2:42 PM EDT   0 recs

A great day to buy a replica AJ Hawk home jersey

Glad to see you didn’t get lost in Gary or the west side.

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey

by jobe on Aug 22, 2008 2:48 PM EDT   0 recs

$40 parking is for suckers!

by thecubsfan on Aug 22, 2008 2:59 PM EDT   0 recs

very much so

But we wanted no walk to the stadium since time was a factor.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Aug 22, 2008 9:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Mine?

I got drunk at New York City’s only remaining Czech beer garden in Astoria, Queens, then got further drunk at a gay bar in the West Village.

It was quite a day, really. Somewhat surreal.

by pipkin on Aug 22, 2008 3:19 PM EDT   0 recs

I've been there numerous times

Great spot.

"We might as well just win this game." -Adam Jones

by exitfare on Aug 22, 2008 4:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

the czech beer garden

or the gay bar?

Kevbo: [to George Sherrill] George, you look a lot like Vin Diesel...

Flatbill: Let's get somethin' straight... Vin Diesel looks like me.

-From "The Making of Orioles Magic"

by dayzd toe on Aug 22, 2008 4:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

The Czech bar

although I’ve the gay bar is a good spot. Mike Piazza always suggests I should meet him there

"We might as well just win this game." -Adam Jones

by exitfare on Aug 22, 2008 4:44 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I was skeptical at first

It proved to be a pretty sweet place. It’s really out of the way. It was also packed, which was kinda crazy, considering the location, the day, and how huge it is.

They had a live band, which might have been part of it. I thought the band was bad.

Had some good beer, especially this stuff called BrouCzech. I’ll try to seek it out.

by pipkin on Aug 22, 2008 5:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Czech beer alert: the house brew at the restaurant U Fleku. Best beer you'll ever have.

The down side: It’s in Prague. Great city, expensive air tix. But seriously, remember the name when you get to central Europe. U Fleku, the house brew. You wanna die drinking the stuff.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Aug 26, 2008 7:57 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

mine...

well i spent the day working and waiting for today when i could work some more and then drink beer and watch the o’s and yanks in HD on a real live TV instead of on a laptop. also, i rooted on the twinkies who ended up winning and tying the sawks for the WC. Dear god i hope the yanks AND the sawx miss the playoffs…

"I’m sure glad he didn’t try to bunt." - DD on Melmo's game winning double, 6/17

by daveh873 on Aug 22, 2008 3:23 PM EDT   0 recs

I usually have a policy of routing against Minnesota teams(see comment above)

but damn, this is a likable Twins team. I almost them to get the wild card as much as I want the Red Sox to miss out on it.

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey

by jobe on Aug 22, 2008 4:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I almost *want*

Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey

by jobe on Aug 22, 2008 4:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I came here to do two things: drink some beer and kick some ass. It’s looks like I’m about out of beer.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on Aug 22, 2008 3:26 PM EDT   0 recs

IT’S

sounds like it too.

Kevbo: [to George Sherrill] George, you look a lot like Vin Diesel...

Flatbill: Let's get somethin' straight... Vin Diesel looks like me.

-From "The Making of Orioles Magic"

by dayzd toe on Aug 22, 2008 3:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Toe

YOU!

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on Aug 22, 2008 5:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I’m addicted to the Olympics, anyway, so I barely noticed the off day.

Between the O’s vs. Mussina, Eagles preseason game, and the York Revs game that I’m actually attending (and probably getting hammered at), and the Olympics, tonight will be quite the smorgasboard of sports viewing/checking on phone.

"He’s in trouble. Whatever he throws me, I’m going to hit it."
-- Alex Cintron

by BrianS on Aug 22, 2008 4:57 PM EDT   0 recs

Yesterday....

I went to a Hagerstown Suns-Delmarva Shorebirds game, and saw Luis Noel and two other pitchers give up 12 runs to Hagerstown in the bottom of the fifth, it was very entertaining, at least.

"You have to discipline yourself so you don't come out with something just to say you made a trade. You have to make sure you come out better than you were before." - Andy MacPhail, 7/31/08

by getxstoked on Aug 22, 2008 5:02 PM EDT   0 recs

um, where's Luke Scott in all that?

or Aubrey Huff?

Yeah.

"You have to discipline yourself so you don't come out with something just to say you made a trade. You have to make sure you come out better than you were before." - Andy MacPhail, 7/31/08

by getxstoked on Aug 22, 2008 5:38 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I drove to meet some coworkers in NH and after a half day of work, I spent the afternoon bumming around and drinking in Portsmouth. A great weekday, expect for that morning working bit.

by drj on Aug 22, 2008 7:14 PM EDT   0 recs

I love portsmouth

What a splendid town.

by pipkin on Aug 22, 2008 7:20 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Nice Chi-town narrative, SC-- toddlin'.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.

by Titov on Aug 26, 2008 7:59 AM EDT   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

The SB Nation blog covering the Baltimore Orioles.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

013_small
Gomez is back
M_99dee6c12781619f2dd46dc0215b4b2f_small
The Answer in Left Field
Small
Video on Koji Uehara-1/2 pitches are hangers!
Small
Tex Says, "the Yankees were always the top [choice]."
Brandonfahey_small
Sources: O's, Uehara agree on two-year deal
Patchbbbal_small
The Original Orioles 1893
41291692_small
21-30
41291692_small
11-20
41291692_small
My Top 30 Orioles Prospects
Rasputin22_small
OT: NCAA Football season ends, USC No. 1 again

Post_icon New FanPost All FanPosts Carrot-mini


Cobra Commander

Gijoecobra_small SC

Dreadnoks

Oriole1_small zknower

109531462_dfb593e7ba_m_small 2632

4fgfgjfxe30x64uwibpb59rg9_small Stacey

Animal-picture-baby-duck-taminsea_small duck

Crimson Guard

33798317_small birdman

Orioooles_palmer_small Baltimo

Img_0666_small NawlinsOriole

ad

Site Meter